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Original poster

Tricky situation with school sports coaching

12 replies

WrigsAndJiggs · 05/02/2010 19:39

I'm a bit worried that by asking this I'll end up outing myself to RL, but I really need to know.
Are there any rules in hockey which govern the age of players in a team? If you play in a U11 or a U13 match, obviously you can't be older than 11 or 13, but can you be significantly younger? Could you be 2 or 3 years younger?

OP posts:
wordsonascreen · 05/02/2010 19:41

ds plays in an under 13's cricket team (he was 8 last week)

But then he is a prodigy

[preen]

If they're good enough they play.

UniS · 05/02/2010 19:44

I believe you can. it happens in cricket. IF a club have not enough players for U11 and U13 they may all play U13 , even if they are 8 or 9.

IIRC in this county you can be older and still play U13 or what ever as well, girls get to play in an age group younger than they are. Makes for an interesting game with a tall 15 yr old girl bowling to a short 12 yr old boy.

cascade · 05/02/2010 19:48

hmmm, im not sure wrigs. generally in most leagues they will have to be born between a certain year, example sept 2001 -aug31st 2002.

Some school and leagues vary in approaches. You would have to ask the organiser.

In a contact sport such as hockey you would be running a huge risk on health and safety if a player was a few years young, however good they were.

I would never do it.

Original poster
WrigsAndJiggs · 05/02/2010 19:53

That's exactly the issue I am thinking of Cascade. Perhaps I'm just a wuss, but I'm not altogether happy about some tiny little pipsqueak playing opposite a great hulking child 2 years older. However, if there are no actual rules against it, that doesn't help my cause.
I need it to be written in black and white that it is not a good idea.

OP posts:
cascade · 05/02/2010 19:56

Could you name the league and I could find out for you.

snorkie · 05/02/2010 20:02

I'm fairly sure there are such rules in rugby, but don't know about hockey

Original poster
WrigsAndJiggs · 05/02/2010 20:15

Thanks for offering Cascade, but I don't think I can name the league. I could tell you that it is 'prep schools' hockey if that makes any difference?

I know there are such guidelines in rugby (for obvious reasons), and I presumed that as hockey is quite a physical game I presumed it would be the same.

OP posts:
cakeforbrains · 05/02/2010 20:25

DH is a hockey coach, I will ask him when he gets back ...

Original poster
WrigsAndJiggs · 05/02/2010 20:35

Thankyou cakeforbrains

OP posts:
cascade · 05/02/2010 20:50

The problem is if its a schools match lots of teachers/coaches will bend the rules as to play their best players.

I am quite sure that there will be an age range. Not only for health and safety but to make it a fair playing field.

For example a team could in theory play a stronger side by using the strongest pupils in a year below, cancelling out the weaker players from the correct age range. Thus be playing at an advantage of the other team who have played by the rules.

In all school/club sport im involved in the league/cup will always say what school year and age range that they are eligible to play in.

If its a club situation players in all sports have to be registered with the affiliating sports body. In school sports this does not happen until you get to regional/national.

I know 99% that there is an age range but I dont want to say definitely as it may be different where your child is playing.

Is it a friendly game? This could be why he/she would be allowed to play.

senua · 06/02/2010 08:35

Well I know that in our League there didn't seem to be any sort of age ban and I wish there had been.

DD's club play six adult teams (three for each sex) and various junior teams. They have this habit whereby, if anybody is any good, they get poached by the next-team-up. This sounds great for the individual involved but I think it is bad for the club. For example, DD played occasionally for Ladies Thirds when she was only about 13 y.o. and another team-mate got into Firsts not much later on.

The flip side of being promoted is the 'hole' that you leave. Because all the best players were promoted, the younger teams were made up of left-overs and, consequently, not very good. So the kids' introduction the game was as part of perenially-losing sides. I would much rather that they left them in the proper age group and won sometimes (and get used to winning, and the winning mentality).
Madness.

But in answer to OP's question: I presume that the school have being doing this for years and know what is allowable and/or sensible.

JGBMum · 06/02/2010 12:43

Presumably you could just say you dont want your child to play in an older age group, regardless of whether the rules allow it. After all, you are the parent, and if she gets hurt then you and she will have to live with the consequences long after the game is finished!

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